Manufacturing firm director fined after worker's fall

The director of a manufacturing firm has been hit with a five-figure fine after one of his employees fell through a roof.

West Bromwich Magistrates' Court heard that a man sustained severe bruising to his lower back after tumbling through a skylight and landing on a machine below.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation concluded that Steven Walker and Sons Ltd had not conducted a suitable risk assessment or provided specialist equipment for the worker.

The director pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs.

HSE inspector Amarjit Kalay said: "The failure of the company to make adequate provisions for working on the roof left one of its employees with serious injuries, and could easily have cost him his life.

"This incident could easily have been prevented by undertaking a suitable risk assessment and by using the necessary equipment to prevent a fall through the fragile roof."

Falls from height cause more workplace deaths than anything else in the UK, so the HSE advises companies to ensure they have the appropriate safety measures, such as warning signs, in place.